


Spencer Needs to Take Care of Himself

by fullofcrazyness



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Collapsing, Dad Hotch, Fainting, Protective Aaron Hotchner, Sick Spencer Reid, Sickfic, Sleep Deprivation, Team as Family, The BAU Team as Family (Criminal Minds), The flu, Worried Aaron Hotchner, Worried Derek Morgan, add to tags as I go, exhuasted, spencer doesn't sleep, spencer doesn't take care of himself, spencer has the flu, spencer reid is bad at self-care, the team worries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:34:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29122746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullofcrazyness/pseuds/fullofcrazyness
Summary: “Hotch h’s a b’rd.” Spencer says raising his hand to the man’s shoulder.Hotch grabs his hand and moves it back down to his chest. “I don’t have a bird Spencer.”OR5 times Spencer doesn't take care of himself and 1 time the team intervenes
Comments: 7
Kudos: 135





	1. Sleep Deprivation

**Author's Note:**

> I cracked myself up writing this, please enjoy it

Spencer was going on hour 64 of not sleeping. His nightmares were coming back with a vengeance, and so, like the genius he is, he decided to stop sleeping.

It didn’t matter that he was now trying not to fall asleep at his desk, he wasn’t dreaming. That’s all that mattered.

Spencer’s eyes squeezed shut as he muffled a yawn into his hand. He rubbed his eyes and forced them open to continue writing his report.

“Late night pretty boy?” Derek teased from the desk next to his.

“Sure.” Spencer says not quite paying attention.

Technically, Derek wasn’t wrong. He was up all-night re-reading textbooks and doing extremely complicated math equations to keep himself awake.

He mumbled something about getting coffee and stood up. He was shaking slightly but that could be the other three cups of coffee he’d had since he got into work.

He missed the slightly concerned frown on Derek’s face.

He entered the little kitchen and went straight for the coffee pot. He grabbed his favorite mug and filled it up, leaving room for an abundance of sugar. Hopefully, the others didn’t see, they knew he only put this much in when he was tired.

“Oops.” He muttered when he accidentally poured some sugar on the counter instead of into his mug. He giggled slightly at himself and cleaned up his small mess. “Sugar.”

He chuckled again and headed back for his desk, trying not to trip over his own feet.

Derek kept frowning as he observed his friend as he walked back. Spencer’s hair was tangled as if he hadn’t brushed it in a day or two. His hands were shaking slightly, and the dark circles under his eyes looked like bruises.

Deciding to keep a close eye on his friend, he turned back to his own desk, glancing up every few minutes.

As the day went on Spencer drank more coffee and yawned more. Soon he was at the three-day mark of being awake. He found himself zoning out, staring at his papers, the wall, into his mug. He had to shake himself out of it before he found himself staring again a few minutes later.

“-ence. Spence!”

Spencer jerked and looked up, squinting his eyes. JJ was standing there looking very concerned. Emily and Derek were behind her also looking worried.

“We have a case?” Spencer asks.

“No, I was asking if you wanted to come out with us tonight.” JJ says, motioning to the two behind her. “It’s time to go home.”

“Is it?” He mumbled.

He reached down to grab his bag and stand up. As he stood he was overcome by a waved of lightheadedness and started swaying.

There were cries from his friends as his knees buckled. There were hands on his arms keeping him upright, but his legs wouldn’t work. His eyes slipped closed against his will and the next thing he knew he was on the ground.

“Reid?”

Spencer looked around. Hotch was kneeling next to his head. JJ, Derek, and Emily were standing behind him. Rossi was watching from the railing outside his office. Everyone looked worried and slightly scared.

“Wha’s wrong?” Spencer asked, words slurring slightly.

“You fainted.” Hotch tells him gently, fingers on his wrist. He was taking his pulse.

“’m fine.” Spencer says, trying and failing to push himself up. He was just too tired.

He felt his eyes closing again but someone tapped his face. He whined and peeled his eyes open to glare. There was a quiet chuckle.

“He looks like a puppy.” Someone said.

“Not a puppy.” Spencer says.

“When’s the last time you slept?” Hotch asks, trying to catch his eye.

Spencer looked away and thought back. He’d taken a nap three days ago and woke up screaming. It was then that he decided to not go back to sleep.

“Three days.” He says not bothering with the hours. He ignored the sharp inhales from his team and looked at Hotch and let out a giggle.

“What’s so funny Spence?” JJ asks, speaking up.

“Hotch h’s a b’rd.” Spencer says raising his hand to the man’s shoulder.

Hotch grabs his hand and moves it back down to his chest. “I don’t have a bird Spencer.”

Spencer looked to their hands, Hotch still holding his. “Ya gotta go to dinner with me now H’tch.”

There were muffled laughs from his friends.

Hotch looked at him confused. “Why?”

“Yer holdin my hand.” Spencer says raising both hands.

“I should have gotten that on video.” Emily says, laughing, pulling out her phone. “Never too late to start.”

Hotch chuckles and looks down at Spencer. “I’m taking you home.”

Spencer stares at him and gasps. “Hotch, y’gotta take me on a date first.”

“Oh my gosh.” Derek busts out laughing.

Hotch blushed red but remained calm. “To sleep Spencer, you need to sleep.”

“Noooo.” Spencer whined. “Don’t wanna.”

“Why not?” Hotch asks, already working on getting the other off the floor. He looks to the team for a moment. “The rest of you can go home.”

Spencer looks around as they stand up. “Shhhh I g’t nightm’res. But don’t tell th’team. They worry.”

Hotch nodded and didn’t respond. He led his agent to the elevator and sent them down to the garage.

“Nightmares suck.” Spencer announces. “They’re scary. Don’t wanna sleep no more.”

“You have to sleep Spencer.” Hotch tells him. “If you don’t sleep you’re going to get sick.”

Spencer wrinkled his nose at that.

Hotch led them to his car and helped Spencer into the passenger seat of his car. He was going to be coming home with him tonight, to make sure he actually slept.

“Night Hotch.” Spencer says as they start driving.

Hotch hummed, looking over. He smiled when he saw the younger had slumped against the window, little snores escaping.

“Goodnight Spencer.”


	2. The Flu

Spencer woke up and immediately wished he could go back to sleep. His head hurt, his body hurt, he couldn’t breathe out of his nose, and he felt unusually warm.

He groaned and rolled over to look at his clock. 6 am. It was time to get up.

He pushed himself out of bed and trudged around his room. He had to go to work. He kept telling himself that as he pulled on random clothes, not caring if he matched.

Making sure to lock his door the made his way down the stairs of his apartment building, slipping on the last three. He held the railing and took a deep breath willing his heart rate to slow down. After a minute he got himself moving again.

Cringing at the loudness of the subway he waited for his train. His nose was stuffed up and he had to breathe through his mouth. It was disgusting. He muffled a cough with his elbow and climbed onto his train, rubbing his eyes.

Finally, they got to his stop and he gladly got off the loud train.

He walked to the BAU as quickly as his aching body allowed him. He walked into the bullpen twenty minutes later, sweaty and breathing hard.

“Morning Spence.” JJ says walking past him. “We have a case.”

Spencer could have cried.

He made his way up to the conference room where the rest of the team was gathering. He sat heavily in his usual spot, resisting the urge to lay his head on the table. He was tired and sore, and he just wanted to be home.

He struggled to pay attention during the briefing. All he managed to hold onto was that they were heading to south Florida and that three women have already been killed.

“Wheels up in thirty.” Hotch says and the team disperses.

Spencer stands up and his stomach rolls. He feels himself pale and he leaves the room as fast as he could without being suspicious. He made his way to the bathroom, locked the door, and fell in front of a toilet. His stomach lurched and he heaved, bringing up the little that was in his stomach. After a minute he started dry-heaving, stomach cramping. There were tears in his eyes as he finally sat back, breathing heavily.

He wiped his mouth and flushed the toilet. Washing his hands and cleaning his mouth he left the bathroom, hiding how shaky he actually was.

“Come on pretty boy, let’s go.” Derek says as he enters the bullpen.

Spencer nodded and followed the man to the elevator so they could go to the cars.

“You okay?” Derek asks, taking a look at him.

“Fine.” Spencer says, not meeting his friend’s eyes.

“You sure about that?” Derek asks as they head towards the car.

“Positive.” Spencer says, clambering into the car.

Derek sent him a disbelieving look but started driving anyway. Spencer leaned against the window. It felt nice against his heated skin. Before he knew it they were pulling up to the airstrip and boarding the jet.

He stumbled out of the car, squinting against the sun. Quickly, Spencer made his way to the jet and climbed the stairs. He ignored the looks from the team and claimed the couch. He sat in the corner and brought his legs up, curling up the best that he could.

Derek frowned at him when he walked in but decided not to say anything at the moment.

“Get some rest, we’ll land in about two hours.” Hotch says as the seatbelt light flashed.

Spencer moved to a chair in the corner, facing away from everyone, and closed his eyes. The plane started moving with a lurch, and Spencer felt his stomach protest. As the plane sped up he wrapped his arms around his middle, hoping it would help the sick feeling. He breathed deeply and heavily throughout take off, praying to a god he didn’t believe in that he wouldn’t throw up in front of the team.

Finally, they were in the air and he loosened his grip some. He was pale, shaking, and sweating slightly.

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes slowly. He looked out the window and watched the clouds pass. He started to drift off to sleep, in a state of half-asleep half awake. Distantly he could hear his teammate talking quietly.

“Is he asleep?” JJ asks.

The rest of the team looks over and sure enough Spencer was asleep against the window.

“He never sleeps before a case.” Derek says.

“Let him sleep.” Hotch says. “We can talk to him later.”

They continued to talk softly amongst themselves, occasionally looking over to their sleeping friend.

Spencer roused and looked around as the plane started descending. The pressure changing in the cabin was messing with his head. He clenches his eyes shut and hopes they land soon.

“You okay over there pretty boy?” Derek asks, looking over his shoulder.

Spencer nods, suppressing a groan as the pressure in his head increases.

The plane bounced on the ground and Spencer groans, his stomach rolling.

“Spence?” JJ asks concerned.

“’m fine.” Spencer says, breathing deeply.

“Are you sure?” Emily asks as the plane slows to a stop.

Spencer nodded. The others looked away looking like they didn’t believe him.

Spencer let out a slow breath hoping he could get through the rest of the day

\--

Spencer leaned against the sink in the precinct bathroom panting. He’d just thrown up for the third time today.

He looked at himself in the mirror.

He looked like crap.

His face was pale. He was sweaty. His hair was all over the place. His hands were shaking.

Taking a deep breath and straightened his back. He turned and walked out of the bathroom.

“Almost done with the geographic profile?” Derek asks as he enters the conference room.

“Yeah.”

He walked up to the board and looked at the pins. His vision was blurry, and he blinked. He felt hot and his head started swimming.

“Reid?” Came Hotch’s voice from behind him.

Spencer turned around.

“Pretty boy?” Derek asks standing up.

“Feel…hot.” Spencer says.

He watched Hotch and Derek rush forward as his knees give out. Two sets of hands wrap around each of his arms and they lead him to a chair.

“He’s burning up Hotch,.” Derek says looking up.

“I feel it.” Hotch says, frowning. “Reid. Spencer, look at me.”

Spencer looked up a squinted. His head was pounding and he was dizzy.

“Spencer.” Hotch says again frowning.

“’m okay.” Spencer mumbles.

“You’re really not pretty boy.” Derek says frowning.

“Go get some water.” Hotch says.

Derek nods and rushes out of the conference room.

“How long have you been feeling sick Spencer?” Hotch asks.

“This morning,” Spencer admits, “M’ head hurts Hotch.”

“Derek’s getting you water and then we’re going to the hotel okay?”

“Okay.” Spencer says, and then groans. His stomach was rolling again. “Feel sick.”

“Okay, all right.” Hotch says gently grabbing the trashcan. He put it in Spencer’s lap just as he hunched over.

Spencer heaved for the second time in the hour, tears leaking from his eyes.

Hotch rubbed his back gently. “There you go, get it up.” His voice was soft and Spencer almost cried.

Derek came back and pushed a water bottle into his heand. “Drink slowly pretty boy.”

Spencer took a sip and sighed when that cool water soothed his throat.

“I’m taking him to the hotel.” Hotch says. “Update the others and continue on the geographical profile.”

“Got it. Get better soon Spence.”

Hotch leads Spencer out of the precinct and helps him into the SUV in the parking lot.

“You should have stayed home if you were sick.”

“The case-” Spencer started.

“Is not more important than you.” Hotch says. “You can’t help us if you don’t take care of yourself.”

Spencer closes his mouth and looks down.

“We’re going to go to my room and you’re going to change into pajamas and go to sleep. We’ll get you some medicine later and you’ll feel better soon okay?”

“Okay.” Spencer whispers.

“Okay.” Hotch says with a small smile.


End file.
